Reflection of Previous Site Visit Studies – Reflecting on an information agency
- For the purpose of this reflection I have chosen the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts Library. This option has occurred in 2019 and 2018, as a public special library. I suspect from the name of the organisation that past mechanical and engineering discoveries would be held in record as well as access to recent and ongoing research papers into mechanic and engineering. I would also suspect that the artistic designs of trains, planes and automobiles would be represented in this library. The Sydney Mechanics’ School of Art Library may be used by students learning about engineering and mechanics as well as artists developing their knowledge and ideas about the aesthetics of items.
- Initially established for artisans and tradesmen, the library now boasts a diverse range of reading, talks and literature to support the members of the community. Though my initial suggestion of the users being mechanics is accurate, the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Art Library serves a larger purpose for the community by offering a wide range of spaces, rooms and resources for members of the library and the community. The website is easily accessible and whilst there is not direct numbers of the users today, the contributions the library makes to other community groups and universities suggest a broad range of users within the local Sydney region. In visiting this site I would like to know the percentages of users coming from different areas of learning e.g. trades and Tafe/Universities/public. The history of the library would guide investigation into the changes which have occurred in the library focus as well as their charters and amendment acts to remain future focused and revolutionary.